The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-23
THE INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF.

For nearly ten years the management OF the
Deaf and Dumb Institution have repeatedly
been asking for an appropriation from the Gen
erai Assembly to erect additional buildings to
accommodate the large number of mutes through
out eur growing State. That it has not bee n
granted can easily be seen by visiting the insti-
tuition and looking at the crowded condition of
the schoolrooms. dormitories, dining room,
chapel and studyroom
Many hardly think it worth the trouble of in
curing into the real value of properly educating
the deaf mute, and very few ever realize the
great difficulty of teaching the members of the
silent community. 1t can better be understood
by comparing the deaf child with the hearing
one On coming into the world the one is un-
conscious OF all the pleasant sounds: the tender
words OF its mother are never heard; it learns
practically nothing from its friends and relatives
up to its tenth year. Besides this. it is petted
and its faults overlooked. Being "a foreigner
In language. heather in religion and savage
In disposition" is it to be won
dered that the teacher of the de at
has SO much difficulty in changing
him into An intelligent beingi How entirely diff
ferent is the other child On coming into the
world its ears are at once greeted with the hum
and hustle Of this busy world. It very soon
learns to say "papa," mamma" etc. In fact,
everywhere and everyday it is in school from its
babyhood up to old age On attaining his sixth
or seventh year he is sent to school. where he
learns to read, and by the time he is twelve he
has studied geography" meanwhile his deaf
brother is just beginning to learn how to write
sucn small sentences as "a black cat runs "a
cross horse kicks" and on
And yet, Notwithstanding the fact that there
are SO many difficulties with which the teacher of
the deaf has to cope, it il made immensely more
difficult by crowding together in the same class
room the bright pupils and those of lower in
tellect Many of those who graduate now are
not rao11 fhn Ainlo fhov md
vet this is not from any fault of the teachers nor
the management 1t is mainly, as have before
said. from crowding pupils of different mental
calibres in the same class room. 1t often hap
pens that half dozen pupils really belong to a
lower class than the one IN which they are: but.
as there is no room in the classes below them,
they have to remain where they are-plodding
on very slowly with their text books, or trying
TO understand some very simple sentences.
Meanwhile the brighter pupils are kept back,
and often discouraged or dragged down to the
level of the duller ones. Now, does it seem
worth the trouble of educating this otherwise
not unfortunate class when such a state of af
fairs is allowed to exist
The crowded condition of the dormtories is
another thing that needs instant reparation. No
one can deny that good sleeping rooms aux
iliaries to good health, and those who in
good health study better than those who are
not. It looks most pitiful to see about sixty
little boys all huddled together IN the same
| room, although they seem happy and are uncon-
sclous of the wrong they suffering, because
the people of Indiana have for while forgot
ten them.
Again. many look upon the school char
liable institution, burden of which they
would be glad to rid themselves But do not.
The deaf child has much right to an educa
ton as the hearing child has, and if the Deaf
and Dumb Institution be regarded charita
BILE institution the public schools must be so re
| garded. too. While our late martyred Presi
| dent was member of the House of Representa-
f~4r do dow
| ing the dedication of the National Deafmute
| College at Washington, D. C, in which
| he set forth an opinion entirely new to many
| but to those of several years experience with
/ the deaf a long recognized fact After two OF
three gentlemen had spoken that occasion he
| arose and essayed in glowing terms the great
| work the United States was doing for its unfor
| tunate, and then came down to the following
| very true statement: Several gentleman have
| spoken of this movement as work of charity
| In my judgment, it is work of very
enlightened selfshness on the part Of
| Congress- And one of our great men has
+, actually stated that deaf-mute institution
| land good one, is as much necessary as tn,
| public schools. Few ever think of the dollars
| they are putting in their pockets when they ar,
| educating the members of the silent class
There are little over three thousand dea
| mutes throughout growing State and th
| number increases in a like ratio to the increas,
| of the general population. 70 let these grow
/ up uneducated would be to make them depend
ent on the hearing people Tor support, but Il
| partially educate them would often maxi
| tramps and city loafers.
| 1t is true that the institution at present grad
| yates some intelligent young men and women
| but these are few compared with the large mum
| Der that compelled to leave school befor
| their education is half finished, because the Law
says they are not allowed to remain at schoo
longer than seven years. if they fail to pass
certain average And, because of the presen
crowded condition of the institution and th'
large numbers seeking admission this rule ha
| to be enforced more severely.
Now. after vainly attempting to bring tn
matter to the attention of the General Assembl,
for the past ten years, it is to be earnestly hope
that all the members Of the present Legislator
| will at once lay aside the inherent bitterness O
| party strife and cooperate for the bettermen
of the State schools one of which is the Dea
and Dumb Institution. C. Q. DANTZER.
| MIR